Everyone responds to alcohol differently. Your height, weight and gender are just some of the factors that play a part in how alcohol affects you. Even what you've had to eat that day or how much sleep you've had can make a difference to how you feel when you drink.

Following the CMOs' advice

If you do drink as much as 14 units a week it’s best to spread your intake evenly across the week. If you regularly drink as much as 14 units per week, it's best to spread your drinking evenly over three or more days.

A good way to cut down the overall amount you drink is to take more drink-free days during the week. That's why we've created a tool that lets you check your drinking, provides information about your risks and gives advice based on your results.

What's a unit of alcohol?

It's not as simple as one drink, one unit.

The size and strength of your drink will determine the number of units it contains. A glass of wine can range between just over one unit and more than three units depending on the size of the glass and type of wine. And people who choose to drink at home tend to pour measures that are larger than you get at a pub, bar or restaurant. So you could be regularly drinking far more than you think.

A great way to avoid losing track of how much alcohol you’re pouring out at home is to use one of our Unit Measure Cups.

Tolerance to alcohol

It’s important not to assume that, even if you aren’t regularly ‘getting drunk’, that you are drinking within the low risk guidelines. People who drink regularly build up a tolerance. This might mean that you notice the effects of alcohol less but the fact is that the more you drink the greater the risk to your health. If you are building up tolerance that could be an early sign of alcohol dependence. If you think you might be dependent on alcohol, or if you have physical withdrawal symptoms (e.g. shaking, sweating, nausea before you have your first drink of the day) then you should seek medical advice from your GP before you stop drinking.